After suspected Jänschwalde sabotage, Brandenburg plans new security center

Brandenburg wants to respond to suspected sabotage near the Jänschwalde power plant with a new security center for critical infrastructure. The planned 360-degree center would bring together information from the domestic intelligence service, police, fire services and disaster protection.

The center would also involve municipalities and the coordination office in the state Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Jan Redmann of the Christian Democratic Union said. The announcement follows attacks on the power grid in Lusatia and in Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Brandenburg police said they had been informed of a claim of responsibility connected with the incident in Turnow-Preilack. Investigators are checking whether the document is authentic. Police said they could neither confirm nor rule that out at this stage and gave no further details for investigative reasons.

Redmann said the attacks showed how exposed Germany’s critical infrastructure is and why it needs stronger protection. But he also warned that the state could not place a police patrol at every electricity pylon. He therefore wants to move quickly on a so-called delegation law that would allow operators of critical infrastructure to arrange security for their own facilities. At present, that role is limited to state and federal police and the Bundeswehr.

Critical infrastructure includes sectors such as energy, information technology, transport, health, water, food, finance and insurance, government and administration, and the media. Disruptions or failures in these areas can cause supply shortages and threaten public safety.

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It is simply impossible to station a police patrol at every electricity pylon.